B1 Verb Forms 6 min read Leicht

Expressing Wishes

Connect a desire verb to an action using să + Subjunctive to express polite or direct wishes effectively.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

To express a wish in Romanian, use the 'să' + subjunctive construction after verbs like 'a dori' or 'a vrea'.

  • Use 'aș vrea' (I would like) + 'să' + verb for polite wishes: 'Aș vrea să plec'.
  • Use 'să' + subjunctive for personal desires: 'Vreau să mănânc'.
  • Use 'aș dori' for formal requests: 'Aș dori să vorbesc cu managerul'.
Subject + Verb (Wish) + să + Verb (Subjunctive)

Overview

Ever felt like you really needed a coffee but didn't know how to ask politely? Expressing wishes in Romanian is your ticket to better social interactions. It is not just about saying what you want.
It is about how you say it. In Romanian, we use two main verbs: a vrea (to want) and a dori (to wish or desire). While they seem similar, they carry different weights.
A vrea is direct and powerful. A dori is elegant and soft. Whether you are ordering a mici at a terrace or asking for a promotion, these patterns matter.
Think of these rules as the social oil that makes conversations slide along smoothly. Without them, you might sound a bit too bossy or demanding. We want you to sound like a local, not a robot.
Let's dive into the magic of wishing.

How This Grammar Works

In Romanian, wishing usually involves two parts of a sentence. First, you have the desire verb. Second, you have the action verb.
These two are almost always connected by the word să. This little word is the bridge to the Subjunctive mood (Conjunctiv). Think of să as the glue that keeps your dreams from falling apart.
If you want to do something yourself, you use the same person for both verbs. For example, Eu vreau să dorm. If you want someone else to do something, you change the second verb.
For example, Eu vreau ca tu să dormi. It is like a relay race where the first verb passes the baton to the second. Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes!
The key is to remember that the second verb is always in the Subjunctive. This mood is the home of possibilities, doubts, and, of course, wishes.

Formation Pattern

1
Creating a wish follows a very specific recipe. Follow these steps to get it right every time:
2
Pick your desire verb. Use a vrea for friends or a dori for formal settings.
3
Conjugate that verb to match who is doing the wishing. (e.g., Eu vreau, Tu dorești).
4
Add the magic word să right after the first verb.
5
Add the second verb in the Subjunctive form. For most verbs, this looks like the present tense, but watch out for the third person!
6
If you are being extra polite, use the Conditional-Optative. This means using aș vrea instead of vreau.
7
It is like building with Lego bricks. You have the base (the subject), the connector (the desire verb), the bridge (să), and the goal (the action). If you miss one piece, the whole tower topples over. Practice the aș, ai, ar forms for the Conditional to sound truly sophisticated.

When To Use It

There are several real-world scenarios where this grammar is your best friend.
  • Ordering Food: When the waiter arrives, don't just point. Say Aș dori o ciorbă de burtă, vă rog. It sounds much better than just Vreau ciorbă.
  • Job Interviews: You want to show ambition but stay professional. Use Doresc să învăț lucruri noi (I wish to learn new things).
  • Asking Directions: If you are lost in Brașov, try Aș vrea să ajung la Piața Sfatului. People will be much more helpful.
  • Expressing Dreams: Talking about the future? Vreau să călătoresc în toată lumea (I want to travel the whole world).
  • Giving Advice: Sometimes a wish is a soft command. Aș vrea să fii mai atent (I would like you to be more careful).
Think of it like a grammar traffic light. Green light: use aș vrea for strangers. Yellow light: use vreau for your best friend. Red light: don't forget the să!

When Not To Use It

Don't use these patterns for things that are definitely happening right now. If you are already eating an apple, you don't say Vreau să mănânc un măr. You just say Mănânc un măr.
Also, avoid using a dori with your siblings or very close friends unless you are being sarcastic. It sounds a bit like wearing a tuxedo to a backyard barbecue.
Another trap is using the Indicative mood after să. Never say Vreau să merg as Vreau că merg. The word că is for facts, but să is for wishes. If you use că, you are telling a story, not expressing a desire. Keep your facts and your wishes in separate boxes.

Common Mistakes

One of the biggest hurdles is the third person Subjunctive. For example, el vrea să meargă (he wants to go). Many learners accidentally say el vrea să merge. Remember, the ending changes to -e or -ască in the Subjunctive for the third person.
Another classic mistake is forgetting the i in verbs like a veni. It should be Vreau să vii, with two 'i's. If you only use one, it sounds like you are missing a tooth!
Also, watch your politeness levels. Using Vreau! at a fancy wedding might get you some strange looks. It is like shouting in a library. Use Aș dori to keep the peace. Finally, don't forget that a vrea has an irregular stem in some forms. It is ei vor, not ei vreun.

Contrast With Similar Patterns

You might confuse wishing with needing. A trebui (to must/to have to) is much stronger. Trebuie să plec means you have no choice. Vreau să plec means it is your choice.
Compare this also to the future tense. Voi merge (I will go) is a statement about the future. Vreau să merg is about your current feeling.
There is also a difference between Aș vrea (I would like) and Mi-ar plăcea (I would enjoy/it would please me). Use Aș vrea when there is a specific goal or object. Use Mi-ar plăcea for general preferences or hobbies.
For example: Aș vrea o înghețată (I want that ice cream now) versus Mi-ar plăcea să locuiesc la munte (I would like to live in the mountains someday).

Quick FAQ

Q

Is a vrea always okay to use?

It is okay with friends, but can sound rude with strangers. Use aș vrea to be safe.

Q

Do I always need să?

Yes, if a second verb follows. You don't need it for nouns: Vreau un ceai.

Q

What is the difference between a dori and a vrea?

A dori is formal and elegant; a vrea is common and direct.

Q

Can I use vreau to order at a restaurant?

You can, but adding vă rog (please) is mandatory if you want to be polite.

Q

Is the Subjunctive hard to learn?

It has a few quirks, but mostly it follows the present tense. Focus on the third person singular and plural first!

Meanings

This grammar is used to express personal desires, hopes, or polite requests for actions performed by oneself or others.

1

Direct Desire

Expressing what you want to happen.

“Vreau să dorm.”

“Vreau să beau apă.”

2

Polite Request

Softening a command or request.

“Aș vrea să deschizi fereastra.”

“Aș dori să primesc nota.”

3

Regret/Unfulfilled Wish

Expressing a wish for something that isn't currently true.

“Mi-aș fi dorit să fiu acolo.”

“Aș vrea să fi știut asta.”

Subjunctive Conjugation (Present)

Person Verb: a vrea (to want) Verb: a merge (to go)
Eu să vreau să merg
Tu să vrei să mergi
El/Ea să vrea să meargă
Noi să vrem să mergem
Voi să vreți să mergeți
Ei/Ele să vrea să meargă

Reference Table

Reference table for Expressing Wishes
Verb Mood/Form Usage Context Example
Vreau Present Indicative Informal/Direct Vreau să plec.
Aș vrea Conditional-Optative Polite/Softened Aș vrea o cafea.
Doresc Present Indicative Formal/Official Doresc să vă ajut.
Aș dori Conditional-Optative Very Formal/Elegant Aș dori să rezerv o masă.
Vrei Question Offering/Asking Vrei să vii cu noi?
Să + Subjunctive Mood The action being wished Vreau să mănânc.

Formalitätsspektrum

Formell
Aș dori să servesc masa.

Aș dori să servesc masa. (Dining)

Neutral
Vreau să mănânc.

Vreau să mănânc. (Dining)

Informell
Vreau să bag ceva la stomac.

Vreau să bag ceva la stomac. (Dining)

Umgangssprache
Mi-e foame, hai să mâncăm.

Mi-e foame, hai să mâncăm. (Dining)

Ways to Express Desire

Wishing

Informal

  • Vreau I want
  • Vrei? Do you want?

Formal

  • Aș dori I would wish
  • Doresc I desire

Direct vs. Polite

Direct (A vrea)
Vreau apă I want water
Vreau să plec I want to leave
Polite (Aș vrea)
Aș vrea apă I would like water
Aș vrea să plec I would like to leave

Which Verb Form Do I Use?

1

Are you talking to a friend?

YES ↓
NO
Use 'Aș dori' or 'Aș vrea'
2

Is there a second verb?

YES ↓
NO
Use 'Vreau' + Noun
3

Is the subject the same?

YES ↓
NO
Use 'Vreau ca...' + Subjunctive

The Subjunctive 'Să' Bridge

👤

Same Person

  • • Vreau să dorm
  • • Vrei să mănânci
👥

Different Person

  • • Vreau să vii
  • • Doresc să plece
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Examples by Level

1

Vreau să mănânc.

I want to eat.

2

Vreau să beau apă.

I want to drink water.

3

Vreau să dorm.

I want to sleep.

4

Vreau să plec.

I want to leave.

1

Nu vreau să merg acolo.

I don't want to go there.

2

Vrei să ieșim diseară?

Do you want to go out tonight?

3

Vreau să cumpăr o pâine.

I want to buy a bread.

4

Nu vrei să vorbești cu mine?

Don't you want to talk to me?

1

Aș vrea să vizitez România.

I would like to visit Romania.

2

Îmi doresc să fii fericit.

I wish for you to be happy.

3

Aș dori să vorbesc cu directorul.

I would like to speak with the director.

4

Mi-ar plăcea să mergem la mare.

I would like us to go to the seaside.

1

Mi-aș fi dorit să fi fost acolo.

I wish I had been there.

2

Vreau ca tu să înțelegi situația.

I want you to understand the situation.

3

Ar fi bine să plecăm mai devreme.

It would be good if we left earlier.

4

Să nu uiți să mă suni!

Don't forget to call me!

1

Să dea Dumnezeu să fie bine!

May God grant that it goes well!

2

Ar fi de dorit să se schimbe regulile.

It would be desirable for the rules to change.

3

Nu aș vrea să se creadă că sunt nepoliticos.

I wouldn't want it to be thought that I am rude.

4

Să fi știut, aș fi venit mai devreme.

Had I known, I would have come earlier.

1

Să fi fost eu în locul tău, aș fi procedat altfel.

Had I been in your place, I would have acted differently.

2

Ar fi fost de preferat să fi fost consultați.

It would have been preferable for them to have been consulted.

3

Să nu cumva să întârzii!

Don't you dare be late!

4

Cine să fi fost la ușă la ora asta?

Who could have been at the door at this hour?

Easily Confused

Expressing Wishes vs. Infinitive vs Subjunctive

Learners use the infinitive because of English influence.

Expressing Wishes vs. Future vs Subjunctive

Both can express future intent.

Expressing Wishes vs. Conditional vs Subjunctive

Both use 'aș'.

Häufige Fehler

✗

Vreau a mânca

✓

Vreau să mănânc

Never use the infinitive after 'vreau'.
✗

Vreau să mănâncăm

✓

Vreau să mănânc

Wrong conjugation.
✗

Vreau mănânc

✓

Vreau să mănânc

Missing 'să'.
✗

Vreau să mănâncă

✓

Vreau să mănânc

Wrong person.
✗

Nu vrei să mănânc?

✓

Nu vrei să mănânci?

Wrong person in question.
✗

Vreau să el mănâncă

✓

Vreau ca el să mănânce

Need 'ca' for different subjects.
✗

Aș vrea să mănâncăm

✓

Aș vrea să mâncăm

Conjugation error.
✗

Mi-aș dori să am fost acolo

✓

Mi-aș fi dorit să fi fost acolo

Incorrect past subjunctive.
✗

Vreau să aș merge

✓

Vreau să merg

Don't combine 'să' with conditional.
✗

Să fiu știut

✓

Să fi știut

Wrong auxiliary.
✗

Să dea Dumnezeu să reușească

✓

Să dea Dumnezeu să reușești

Person mismatch.
✗

Ar fi de dorit să se schimbă

✓

Ar fi de dorit să se schimbe

Subjunctive conjugation error.
✗

Nu aș vrea să se crede

✓

Nu aș vrea să se creadă

Passive voice error.

Sentence Patterns

Vreau să ___.

Aș vrea să ___ cu tine.

Mi-aș fi dorit să fi ___.

Să dea Dumnezeu să ___!

Real World Usage

Ordering food constant

Aș dori să comand o pizza.

Texting friends very common

Vrei să ieșim?

Job interviews common

Aș dori să discutăm despre salariu.

Travel common

Vreau să cumpăr un bilet.

Social media common

Vreau să împărtășesc asta cu voi.

Food delivery apps very common

Vreau să adăugați sos.

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💡

The Magic Wand

If you ever feel unsure, always use Aș vrea. It is the safest, most versatile way to express a wish without sounding rude or overly formal.
⚠️

The 'Că' Trap

Never use că after vreau. It’s like trying to put diesel in a petrol car—it just won’t run. Always use să for wishes!
🎯

Double 'i' Alert

When wishing for someone else to 'come' (a veni) or 'be' (a fi), remember the double 'i': Vreau să vii, Vreau să fii. It’s a common spelling bee stumper!
💬

Restaurant Etiquette

In Romania, using Doresc in a restaurant makes you sound like royalty. Use it if you want extra-attentive service from your waiter.

Smart Tips

Use 'Aș vrea' instead of 'Vreau'.

Vreau o cafea. → Aș vrea o cafea.

Use 'ca' + subject + 'să'.

Vreau el să meargă. → Vreau ca el să meargă.

Use the past subjunctive.

Vreau să am fost acolo. → Mi-aș fi dorit să fi fost acolo.

Keep it simple with 'Vreau să'.

Aș dori să... (too complex) → Vreau să...

Aussprache

/sə/

Să

The 'ă' is a schwa sound, like the 'a' in 'about'.

Polite Request

Aș vrea să... (rising intonation)

Sounds softer and more inviting.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Remember: 'Să' is the bridge. Without 'să', your wish cannot cross over to the verb.

Visual Association

Imagine a bridge labeled 'SĂ' connecting a person (Subject) to a delicious cake (Verb). You can't reach the cake without crossing the bridge.

Rhyme

Vreau să, aș vrea să, mereu cu 'să'!

Story

Ion wants a bike. He says 'Vreau să am o bicicletă'. He asks his mom, 'Vrei să-mi cumperi una?'. She says 'Aș vrea să pot, dar e scumpă'.

Word Web

săvreaudoriplăceaașpofti

Herausforderung

Write 5 sentences about things you want to do today using 'Vreau să'.

Kulturelle Hinweise

Romanians value politeness. Using 'Aș dori' instead of 'Vreau' is crucial in shops.

The 'să' particle comes from the Latin 'sic' (so/thus), which evolved to connect clauses.

Conversation Starters

“

Ce vrei să faci în weekend?

“

Ai dori să mergem la film?

“

Ce ți-ai dori să schimbi la orașul tău?

“

Dacă ai putea, ce ai vrea să fi făcut diferit?

Journal Prompts

Scrie 5 lucruri pe care vrei să le faci mâine.
Descrie o vacanță ideală folosind 'Aș vrea'.
Scrie despre un regret din trecut.
Reflectează asupra unei schimbări sociale dorite.
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Test Yourself

Choose the correct form of the verb 'a vrea' to complete the polite request.

___ vrea să beau un ceai cald, vă rog.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Aș
'Aș vrea' is the first person singular conditional form used for polite wishes.
Complete the sentence with the correct subjunctive bridge.

Vreau ___ mergem la munte în weekend.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: să
The particle 'să' is mandatory when connecting a wish to an action verb.
Pick the correct subjunctive form for the third person singular.

Ea dorește ca el să ___ adevărul.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: spună
In the subjunctive mood, the third person singular of 'a spune' changes from 'spune' to 'spună'.

Score: /3

Ubungsaufgaben

8 exercises
Fill in the blank.

Vreau ___ mănânc.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: să
The particle 'să' is required.
Choose the correct form. Multiple Choice

Aș vrea ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: să plec
Matches the subject 'eu'.
Correct the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Vreau a dormi.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Vreau să dorm
Infinitive is wrong.
Make it polite. Sentence Transformation

Vreau să mănânc.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Aș vrea să mănânc
Conditional is polite.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Vrei să ieșim? B: ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Da, vreau să ieșim
Full sentence.
Build the sentence. Sentence Building

eu / dori / să / plec / aș

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Aș dori să plec
Correct word order.
Sort by formality. Grammar Sorting

Which is most formal?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Aș dori să...
Conditional is formal.
Conjugate for 'el'. Conjugation Drill

Vreau să (merge).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: meargă
Subjunctive 3rd person.

Score: /8

FAQ (8)

It's the mandatory connector for the subjunctive mood in Romanian.

No, never after 'vreau' or 'dori'.

It's polite, which is often formal, but used in daily life too.

Use 'Vreau ca el să meargă'.

No, future uses 'voi/vei/va'.

Use 'Mi-aș fi dorit să fi...'.

Some dialects might drop 'să', but it's standard in all.

Start by making a list of 10 things you want to do.

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In Other Languages

Spanish high

Quiero que + subjunctive

Spanish uses 'que' instead of 'să'.

French high

Je veux que + subjunctive

French requires the 'que' particle.

German moderate

Ich möchte, dass...

German uses a subordinate clause structure.

Japanese low

～たい (tai)

Japanese does not use a particle like 'să'.

Arabic moderate

أريد أن (urid an)

Arabic uses a different particle system.

Chinese low

我想 (wǒ xiǎng)

Chinese has no verb conjugation.

Previous
Subjunctive Usage
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Subjunctive in Clauses

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